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Navigating Distributed IT Projects: Managing Organizational and Cultural Complexities

Froborg, Rebecca LU and Wendel, Lovisa (2025) INFM10 20251
Department of Informatics
Abstract
Distributed IT projects are increasingly common as organizations leverage global talent and digital collaboration tools. However, these projects are associated with elevated risk due to geographical dispersion, cultural differences, and organizational complexity. This study investigates how such factors influence the emergence and management of risk in distributed IT projects. Drawing on Institutional Theory and Hofstede’s 6-D model of national culture, the study is based on nine semi-structured interviews with professionals experienced in global IT project settings. Through thematic analysis, six key themes were identified: geographical and cultural barriers, relationship-building, communication clarity, risk awareness, leadership... (More)
Distributed IT projects are increasingly common as organizations leverage global talent and digital collaboration tools. However, these projects are associated with elevated risk due to geographical dispersion, cultural differences, and organizational complexity. This study investigates how such factors influence the emergence and management of risk in distributed IT projects. Drawing on Institutional Theory and Hofstede’s 6-D model of national culture, the study is based on nine semi-structured interviews with professionals experienced in global IT project settings. Through thematic analysis, six key themes were identified: geographical and cultural barriers, relationship-building, communication clarity, risk awareness, leadership alignment, and opportunities in global setups. The findings indicate that while technology facilitates interaction, it cannot substitute for trust-building, cultural awareness, and structured leadership. Effective risk management in distributed projects is shown to require adaptive approaches that are sensitive to institutional and cultural context. This study contributes to the literature by integrating perspectives on IT project risk and virtual collaboration, offering practical insights into the social and organizational challenges of globally distributed IT work. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Froborg, Rebecca LU and Wendel, Lovisa
supervisor
organization
course
INFM10 20251
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Distributed IT projects, Risk management, Cultural complexity, Organizational dynamics, Virtual collaboration
language
English
id
9203195
date added to LUP
2025-06-19 14:28:38
date last changed
2025-06-19 14:28:38
@misc{9203195,
  abstract     = {{Distributed IT projects are increasingly common as organizations leverage global talent and digital collaboration tools. However, these projects are associated with elevated risk due to geographical dispersion, cultural differences, and organizational complexity. This study investigates how such factors influence the emergence and management of risk in distributed IT projects. Drawing on Institutional Theory and Hofstede’s 6-D model of national culture, the study is based on nine semi-structured interviews with professionals experienced in global IT project settings. Through thematic analysis, six key themes were identified: geographical and cultural barriers, relationship-building, communication clarity, risk awareness, leadership alignment, and opportunities in global setups. The findings indicate that while technology facilitates interaction, it cannot substitute for trust-building, cultural awareness, and structured leadership. Effective risk management in distributed projects is shown to require adaptive approaches that are sensitive to institutional and cultural context. This study contributes to the literature by integrating perspectives on IT project risk and virtual collaboration, offering practical insights into the social and organizational challenges of globally distributed IT work.}},
  author       = {{Froborg, Rebecca and Wendel, Lovisa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Navigating Distributed IT Projects: Managing Organizational and Cultural Complexities}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}